Nate kept looking at Madison, his dark eyes locked onto hers, searching for any hesitation, any uncertainty. But there was none.
She ant every word she had said.
The way she looked at him—steady, unwavering, full of conviction—made him realize that she wasn't just saying this on impulse. She had thought about it. A lot. This was sothing she had wrestled with, sothing that had lingered in her heart for a long ti before she finally decided to voice it.
And now, here she was, waiting for his answer.
Nate inhaled softly, his thoughts montarily clouded by the weight of her words.
Then, before he could even process his next move, his body acted on its own.
His hand reached out, fingers brushing against hers before he wrapped his palm fully around her hand.
Madison's breath hitched slightly at the sudden touch, her eyes widening just a fraction.
Then, Nate smiled.
It was a small smile—soft yet filled with aning.
In that mont, he didn't need to say anything.
The look in his eyes, the warmth of his touch—it was already his answer.
Madison understood it imdiately.
A deep breath left her lips, almost like a sigh of relief, and then she leaned in, resting her head against his chest. Her body relaxed completely, her fingers curling slightly against his, holding onto him.
For a mont, neither of them spoke.
Madison simply stayed there, her face buried in the warmth of his chest, breathing in slowly, as if she had just unburdened herself from sothing heavy.
Nate lifted his other hand and ran his fingers through her hair, his touch slow, gentle.
She let out a small hum, almost as if she was savoring the mont.
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They stayed like that for a while—silent, still, wrapped in a mont neither of them wanted to break.
---
Morning
Jason's eyes fluttered open.
His body was freezing.
A sharp chill ran through him, and his fingers twitched slightly as he stirred. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp leaves and earth, and as his mind slowly adjusted, he imdiately knew sothing was wrong.
He wasn't in his room.
His heartbeat quickened slightly as he blinked away the drowsiness, his senses sharpening.
Beneath him, the ground was rough, covered in dirt and fallen leaves. A cold breeze rustled through the trees, making the branches sway above him.
Jason sat up quickly, his hands brushing off the dirt from his clothes as his gaze darted around.
The forest.
How the hell did he get here?
The last thing he rembered was lying down in his room, trying to get so rest. Now, he was out in the middle of the forest, as if soone had dumped him here in his sleep.
His jaw clenched slightly as he slowly got to his feet, muscles tensed.
Then, his eyes landed on the figure standing a few feet away.
Axel.
He was leaning against a tree, arms crossed, watching Jason with an unreadable expression.
Jason's gaze hardened as he t Axel's stare.
Axel pushed himself off the tree, taking a slow step forward. His tone was casual, but there was an edge to it.
"Have you co to a decision, friend?"
Jason didn't answer right away.
His face remained neutral, unreadable.
Then, after a mont, he spoke.
"My decision was made a long ti ago." His voice was firm. "I'm not supporting this. I'll never support what you're doing."
Axel's eyes darkened slightly. His fingers twitched at his side.
A few seconds passed in silence before he exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
"I don't get you, man," he said, his tone colder this ti. "I really don't. You're acting like we have sothing to lose here."
Jason's jaw tightened. "This isn't about winning or losing."
"Then what the fuck is it about?" Axel snapped, throwing the small stick in his hand to the ground. His voice was sharp now, filled with irritation.
Jason's eyes flared with anger. "It's about dignity."
Axel let out a bitter laugh, his eyes narrowing. "Dignity? Since when do you give a shit about dignity?"
Jason remained silent, his expression unmoving.
Axel gestured around them, his voice growing more intense. "Look around, Jace. This place—this fucking island. Do you actually think we're getting out of here? Be real. We're stuck. And sooner or later, people will start breaking into factions, splitting apart. It's already happening."
Jason didn't say anything, but his hands slowly curled into fists at his sides.
"This isn't about right or wrong," Axel continued. "This is about choosing the right side. It's about power. It's about making sure we don't end up at the bottom when shit hits the fan."
Jason stared at him, his eyes cold.
"You're lost, brother," he said quietly. "There's no salvation for you."
Axel's expression didn't change.
But his fingers twitched slightly.
Then, without looking back, he took a step away.
He turned his gaze toward the thick bushes behind him.
Then, his lips curved slightly as he said, "You can co out now."
Jason's breath hitched as he heard the rustling.
The wind shifted around him, and his sharp instincts imdiately picked up on movent from all directions. His muscles tensed as dark figures erged from the dense bushes, their faces concealed beneath masks.
His pulse quickened.
The way they moved—the way they positioned themselves—there was no doubt about it. They were with Axel.
And then, to his surprise, Claire stepped out from the shadows and ca to stand beside Axel.
Jason's eyes narrowed as he scanned his surroundings.
A deep, unsettled feeling crept into his chest.
His voice ca out low, controlled, but laced with quiet anger. "What's the aning of this?"
None of them answered.
Instead, the masked figures slowly raised their hands, and in an instant, their elental abilities ca to life.
One of them ignited his palm in a swirl of violent flas, the fire twisting and crackling as if it had a mind of its own.
Another one caused the ground beneath them to tremble slightly, tiny fissures forming beneath his feet, as if the earth itself was responding to his power.
A third figure's hand shimred with an eerie purple glow, the air around it crackling with energy.
The fourth summoned water from thin air, the liquid twisting into a spear-like form as it hovered beside him.
Jason's jaw clenched.
They weren't here to play.
His fingers curled into fists, his body already shifting into a defensive stance. The wind around him responded to his tension, subtly shifting in his favor, but deep down, he knew the odds were against him.
Then, without warning, one of them shot toward him with terrifying speed.
Jason barely had ti to react as a flaming fist ca crashing toward his face. He twisted his body, narrowly dodging it, feeling the heat scorch the air beside him.
But there was no ti to recover.
The second attacker—earth user—lunged forward and slamd his foot into the ground. The earth beneath Jason erupted violently, sending him stumbling backward.
Before he could fully regain his footing, the third one moved in, the eerie purple energy swirling around his fist as he struck Jason square in the ribs. A surge of pain exploded through his side as he was sent flying, skidding against the rough dirt.
Jason groaned but quickly rolled back to his feet, panting slightly.
They were fast. Too fast.
He barely had ti to process before the fourth one—water user—launched his attack. A whip-like tendril of water lashed toward him. Jason managed to summon a burst of wind to deflect it, but the distraction left him open.
The fire user struck next.
A flaming foot connected with Jason's stomach, the impact knocking the air out of his lungs as he was thrown backward once more. His back slamd against a tree with a sickening thud.
Jason coughed violently, his vision blurring for a mont as pain flared through his body.
But they didn't stop.
The mont he tried to push himself up, the earth user rushed forward, delivering a brutal knee strike to his chest. Jason gasped as another wave of pain coursed through him.
Then the water user lashed out again, sending a high-pressure stream of water that struck his shoulder, slicing through his skin like a blade. Blood splattered against the dirt.
Jason's breaths were ragged, his vision spinning slightly.
And still, they kept coming.
The wind user clenched his jaw, summoning a powerful gust around him, trying to push them back, but they were relentless.
Another fiery punch. Another bone-cracking strike. A brutal kick to his ribs.
Jason's body was being battered from all sides.
And through it all, Axel stood there, watching in silence.
At so point, he turned his head away, unable to keep looking.
Claire, standing beside him, caught the movent.
Her voice was sharp. Cold. "No."
Axel's eyes snapped to her as she continued, her tone laced with authority. "You will watch."
For a brief mont, sothing flickered in Axel's eyes. A hesitation.
But then, slowly, he turned back, forcing himself to watch as Jason was beaten rcilessly.
Blood dripped from Jason's mouth as he spat onto the ground, panting heavily.
His body ached. Every inch of him was screaming in pain.
And yet, his voice still ca out strong.
Through gritted teeth, he looked at Axel. His voice was raw with betrayal.
"After everything I've done for you," he spat, his breath ragged. "You're just gonna stand there and watch?"
Axel didn't answer.
Jason let out a bitter, breathless laugh, shaking his head as he coughed up more blood.
"You're not gonna fucking talk to ?" he growled, his voice cracking with pain and anger. "Say sothing, Axel."
Axel remained silent, his fists clenched at his sides.
Jason's breathing grew heavier as another blow struck his side, sending him stumbling once more.
His body was broken. His strength was fading.
He knew he was losing.
And then, the mont ca.
The masked figures stopped.
Jason barely managed to lift his head, his swollen eyes struggling to focus. His body swayed slightly as blood dripped from his lips onto the dirt below.
Then, Claire stepped forward.
She held sothing in her hands.
A sword.
She turned to Axel, her cold gaze eting his.
"Finish it," she said smoothly, extending the weapon toward him.
Axel's expression darkened.
His fingers hesitated before wrapping around the hilt.
His grip tightened as he looked at the broken, bloodied figure of his best friend.
Jason t his gaze.
There was no fear in his eyes.
Only disappointnt.
****
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